The Carlos Pauner expedition is today at base camp. They woke up at camp I and
they pretended to climb to camp II, but it has not stopped snowing and that
cut they goal for today. From camp I to camp II there are 8 hours of march
with a difference in altitude of 1,000 meters and unstopping snow; so the
danger was
excessive, with bad visibility, risk of avalanches… etc. That is why
they thought is was appropriate to go down to base to wait again for a
favorable weather forecast to climb again to mount camp II and end their
acclimatization for the next ascent, for a summit attempt.

ATTEMPT TO MOUNT CAMP II

After several days at base camp waiting for the strong rain and snow to stop
in the high altitudes, they left at 09:00 (Spain time) to camp I (5800 m) and
after four hours of walking and after strong snowfall during the ascent, they
will spend the night there. Their plan is to continue on the next day to camp
II to do the same operation and to complete their acclimatization. According
to the weather forecasts they can continue tomorrow with
their ascent to camp II, where they will spend the night and quickly
go back down to base. If the five members of the expedition, directed by
Pauner, can go ahead with their plans, they will attempt a summit attack on
the next good weather windows.

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

IN THE TRENCHES

Carlos Pauner

After ten days at base camp and a timid incursion to camp 1, here we are
still, in our little hole full of water, that feeds daily with
more liquid. The dark skies have not stopped dropping rain on us,
night and day. The protection that offer our tents has been getting
weaker little y little and humidity starts to take everything and
everyone.

We have the feeling of living in one of those trenches that were so
wonderfully described by Ernst Jüger during the First World War,
ducked in some miserable holes, keeping the position, waiting to be
able to get out in some moment to the front line, to the objectives.
In our case, with less misery and less violence, and we wait for this
sea of water to cease for once, we hope that snow stops falling in the high
altitudes which has surely buried all our previous work and that we can
continue progressing on our way to the top and above all, to abandon once and
for all this humid and sickening tedium.

The lack of light also causes lack of energy for all our devices and
it has made us learn how to economize everything and only use what is strictly
necessary. With every new morning we watch the sky with hope, but it is always
the same, a gray metallic vision that explodes in the form of thick drops of
water, expected and hated.

Days go by and we have adapted to this form of life a little miserable
and slowed down. We hope with our hearts that everything comes back to normal
and nicer days come to us. For the moment the mountain is inaccessible,
defended by its barrier of unstable snow and we can only wait. We are still
sheltered in our trench, waiting for the moment to be able to cross the
“enemy” lines and have our particular battle with the difficulties that,
without doubt, we are going to find on this colossal mountain of the
Himalayas.

Carlos Pauner

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

FEELINGS FROM MANASLU: Carlos Pauner

I am once again at the bottom of this fabulous and beautiful mountain of the
Himalayas. Everything is very much alike, the same tents, the same landscapes,
the same will to get to that far away point hanging in the sky. New teammates
are with me in this occasion and I think we form a nice team, motivated and
compact. We have just installed ourselves comfortably at these almost 5000
meters of altitude and we have built our little tents city that will be our
refuge for a few weeks.

We have a lot of work ahead, well, everything’s ahead, but we know exactly
what to do and how to do it. This is the little advantage of going back to the
summit where I have been so close. I can’t avoid the memory of that day in
April, last year, when just a few steps separated me from the end. However,
far from being a burden, this memory makes me want to go up. I want to go back
to see everything from that point and to enjoy a nice summit surrounded by
good friends. I wish everything ends up nicely, that we live beautiful days on
the Himalayas and that I can add that special number 10 to the Aragon mountain
climbing. It has been a lot years of hard work to reach that point, but the
truth is that I’ve had a lot of happiness and beautiful experiences very
difficult to describe.

All this could not have been done without your help, and of all the people
from Aragon, and the companies and institutions. Climbing these mountains is
an enormous personal satisfaction, but when one represents a noble and brave
people like ours, it is even greater. Aragon is a great territory, of
fascinating landscapes and extraordinary people.

I can’t avoid the memory of our most emblematic character, José Antonio
Labordeta and to congratulate him from this corner for that great award of the
Great Cross of Alfonso X the Wise. We are proud of you, of your trajectory and
your know-how. I feel lucky to have shared with you some coffees in our
Levante, in our neighborhood and I hope to go back to Pilares and share this
adventures of distinct kind with another coffee. Thanks for your example.

Carlos Pauner

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

FIRST ROUND: Carlos Pauner

The weather is bad, monsoonic. It rains, sometimes cats and dogs, sometimes
a little less. We woke up wanting to go up to camp 1 and install it, but the
rain sent us back to our sleeping bags. Two hours later it was clear and we
decided to go up. We climbed over a stony terrain that leads to a glacier with
deep crevasses although very open and clear. Little by little the weather is
getting worse, as usual and fog start to fall down on us. A few hours later we
got through that fog to this pinnacle at 5,700 m of altitude, where we install
our first camp.

We go down quickly, under clouds and rain and we finally reach the
tranquility of our base camp. We have made an important step in this uncertain
weather. The forecasts point to a mixed weather for at least 4 days. Now is
time to rest, to recover our bodies and to continue acclimatizing.

We have reached the initial mark of our route and our next thought is to
install camp two above 6,500 m. A lot of work, but for the moment we have been
able to take advantage a little pause in this foggy weather and advance on the
first so important step. We will go back to our monotonous life in this little
canvas city, with our comfort and our miseries. Moisture dampens us down to
our bones and everything is wet.

We hope for the monsoon to pass and that we can soon continue with our
progress on our way to the summit.

Carlos Pauner

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

CAMP I INSTALLED

Today Carlos Pauner said by phone that they have installed camp I at 5,700
m.

They left base camp at 09:00h and after four and a half hours of walking
they installed they first stop on their ascent. They found a stony terrain
until half the way and then snow.

After they finished their mission of mounting that camp they arrived to
base around 16:30h. Now they will face several days of bad weather which they
will use to hydrate and rest because their bodies are noting the high altitude
and the start of the work on the mountain.

We will get graphic material of the climb this morning and more detailed
information, because they are tired after the hard journey they had today.

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

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